Spring Fair closed on a high last week, following four days of intensive buying, creativity and fun, and is now looking forward to its 75th anniversary in 2025.
Jackson Szabo, portfolio director, Spring Fair, commented: “I have been blown away by the energy, passion and community at Spring Fair during the last four days. The feedback and stories from buyers, exhibitors, and partners have highlighted just how integral this show is to the retail calendar.
“As well as the day job of buying, it enables the retail industry to come alive with inspiration, innovation, knowledge and networking. All of our new experiences and activations across the show floor, and the awe-inspiring content on the three stages, have been very well received and I’ve also loved the sense of fun our exhibitors bring – I’ve seen people dressed as sheep, sharks, dogs, naughty elves, and of course Peppa Pig.
“We’re now very excited to look forward to 2025 as we celebrate 75 years as the Home, Gift and Fashion industry’s most established and inventive buying show.”
From Sunday to Wednesday, the show attracted buyers from retailers including John Lewis, Asda, Tesco, Aldi, TK Maxx, Next, Wayfair, Harrods, Blue Diamond, Fenwick, TK Maxx, Claire’s Accessories, Merlin Entertainment, WHSmith, Warner Bros and many more, all sourcing for new products and looking for the competitive edge.
The licensing industry delivered a big impact, with thousands of trend-led licensed products including housewares, featuring everything from Disney characters and Harry Potter, to Winnie the Pooh, Marvel, Barbie, Paddington, Peppa Pig, Peter Rabbit, PAW Patrol, and many more.
Feedback throughout the show indicated high quality footfall, new customers, and a buzzing atmosphere.
Richard Keel, managing director of Keel Toys, commented: “The footfall and orders across Sunday and Monday have been really good, we have opened a high number of new accounts. We are still smiling and have confirmed for Autumn Fair and Spring Fair for 2024/25.”
#SBS Village exhibitor and Pitch Live Gift winner, Sally Deer from Ducky Zebra, said: “Winning Pitch Live is a huge achievement and I’m really happy. I have opened up 10-year accounts and I have also got several new genuine connections and leads so I am absolutely buzzing! These accounts range from children’s retailers who are experienced at buying childrenswear, but also very successful gifting shops, who have never tried baby clothes but saw our range and love it so much they decided to introduce it as a product type, which is exciting.”
Innovative content partnerships with TikTok Shop, Google and The Future Collective drew crowds wanting to discover the next key trends and technologies impacting the retail sector. Delivering insights on topics ranging from AI and digital retail, to conscious consumerism and licensing, the stages welcomed industry stalwarts such as Theo Paphitis, Dame Zandra Rhodes and many more.
Spring Fair returns for its 75th edition from 2 – 5 February, 2025.
